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Kale & White Bean Soup with Kale & Walnut Pesto

3/30/2020

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Kale & White Bean Soup

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 32 - 35 Min

Add everything for the kale pesto except for half the EVOO. Pulse to combine everything until it is broken down. Scrape down the sides, add the remaining oil, and let run until combined. Set aside.

**If you would like an emulsified pesto, use a vortex blender.

Begin heating the EVOO in a large saucepan set to medium heat. Once heated, add 1 Tsp. of pepper flakes, celery, onion, and a good pinch of salt and cracked pepper. Cook two minutes and then stir in 2 Tbsp. of the kale pesto. Continue to cook another 4 – 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and cauliflower to the pot along with another good pinch of sea salt and pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable stock and water. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a boil. Once boiled, stir in the vegeta, salt, remaining pepper flakes, fresh kale, and white beans. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust salt if desired. To finish, stir in 3 Tbsp. of fresh kale pesto along with the juice of the remaining half a lemon. Serve and enjoy!

** Refrigerate leftover kale pesto and use for a variety of things. Stir more into soup, use on grilled veggies, blend into tomato sauces, there’s endless possibilities.

Grocery List
KALE PESTO

4 C Fresh Green Kale, packed
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
¼ C Fresh Basil
¼ C Fresh Parsley
1 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan
1 C EVOO
½ Lemon, zested & juiced
½ Tsp. Sea Salt

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3 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
4 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 C Mini Yellow Potatoes, chopped
2 C Cauliflower Florets
4 C Fresh Green Kale, chopped
540 ml can White Beans, drained & rinsed
4 C Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
2 C Cold Water
½ Lemon, juiced
1 ½ Tsp. Vegeta Seasoning
1 ½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper

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Huevos Rancheros

3/28/2020

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Huevos Rancheros

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 5 - 8 Min

Empty the contents of the beans into a small sauce pot set to medium low. Cover and cook until warm.

Meanwhile, mix together the tomatoes, cilantro, EVOO, lime juice, and most of the green onions in a small bowl. Season with desired amount of sea salt and set aside.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan to medium heat. Once heated, crack in the eggs and season each with sea salt, cracked pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook until whites have almost set (about 3 minutes) and then pour a little cold water into the pan to sizzle and steam with the lid on until fully cooked (another minute approximately).

Grocery List

4 Large Free-Range Eggs
398ml can Refried Black Beans
8 Soft Corn Street Taco Shells
¾ C Extra Old Cheddar, shredded
1 C Grape Tomatoes, diced
3 Green Onions, sliced
1 clove Garlic, crushed / minced
Handful Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. EVOO
½ Lime, juice (More if desired)
1 Avocado, sliced
Sea Salt / Cracked Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes

Wrap the soft tacos in paper towels and microwave for 20 seconds until warmed through.

For service, place two soft tacos overlapping on a plate. Smear a couple TBSP. of refried beans on the shells followed by a sprinkling of the old cheddar, the sunny side up egg, desired amount of fresh pico, a few slices of avo, and a finishing sprinkle of the remaining green onions. ENJOY!

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Pastitsio

3/23/2020

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PASTITSIO

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 65 - 70 Min

Fill a large pot with cold water and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Once boiling, season liberally with sea salt and stir. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions. Strain into a large mixing bowl. Add 2 Tbsp. EVOO and 1/2 the parmesan to the bowl. Stir to combine and set aside until needed.

** Continue as pasta boils.

Begin heating 3 Tbsp. EVOO for the sauce on medium heat in a medium sized pot. Add in the pepper flakes, onions, bell peppers and a pinch of salt & sauté for 5 minutes. Make a well in the center of the pot and drop in the garlic. Once you can start to smell the garlic (about 1 minute), stir and continue cooking another 2 minutes.

Add in the red wine vinegar, garlic powder, all spice, and cinnamon and continue to cook another 2 minutes or so. Add in the diced tomatoes, tsp. salt, and sugar. Let the sauce come to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced.

As the sauce simmers, begin preparing the bechamel sauce. In a medium sized pot set to medium low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, stir in the flour and continue to stir until the roux comes together as a nice, crumbly mixture. Cook roughly 3 minutes stirring often. While the roux cooks, warm up the milk in a small pot set to medium just until warm and remove from heat. Slowly whisk the milk into the roux adding a little at a time and whisking vigorously until all the milk is in the pot. Increase the heat to medium, add the salt and vegeta, and whisk often as the sauce thickens and bubbles. Once bubbly, reduce heat again to medium low and simmer 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the bechamel sauce to cool slightly.

Grocery List

4 C Dry Ziti Pasta
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 C Grated Parmesan

(Split Into 1/2 C, ¼ C, ¼ C)

Fresh Parsley, chopped for garnish

SAUCE

3 Tbsp. EVOO
½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper (not green), diced
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
¾ Tsp. All Spice
½ Tsp. Cinnamon
2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
796ml can Diced Tomatoes
340g package Yves Veggie Ground
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
¼ Tsp. Sugar

BECHAMEL

6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
¾ C AP Flour
4 C 2% Milk, heated
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
½ Tsp. Vegeta Seasoning
3 Large Eggs
Pinch Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 F

Returning to the sauce, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce slightly, we still want some chunks. Once blended, fold in the Yves veggie ground and remove from the heat, set aside.

The bechamel should now be cooler. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. Slowly add ¼ C of the bechamel sauce to the eggs whisking it in as you add to temper the eggs. Add another ¼ C if needed until you stick your fingers into the egg mixture, and it is lukewarm. Now, fold the eggs into the pot of bechamel sauce until fully combined.

Spray the inside of a rectangular 3 qt. baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the noodles into the dish and flatten them down to form a layer. Sprinkle ¼ C parmesan over the noodles. Next up, ladle over the meat sauce forming another layer. Press the sauce down gently and get as much of it in there as you can. Save whatever sauce is left. To finish, pour the bechamel sauce over the meat sauce layer to form the final layer. Spread it around if needed to form an even layer. Finish with remaining ¼ C parm.

Bake 45 – 50 minutes until golden brown on top.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh parsley, and cool at least 15 – 20 minutes prior to cutting in to. Cut into 8 equal sized slices and serve. ENJOY!

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Breaded Halloumi with Pesto & Zima Tomato Bruschetta

3/16/2020

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Breaded Halloumi with Pesto & Zima Tomato Bruschetta

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 12 - 18 Min

In a small bowl, add the chopped Zima tomatoes, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and EVOO. Stir and season with sea salt. Set aside.

Set up a breading station. Empty the flour into a bowl and set aside. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk together with a pinch of salt and pepper, set aside. Empty the breadcrumbs into the final bowl and once again season them with salt & pepper along with a generous amount of dried salad herbs. Set aside.

Coat the halloumi slices in flour followed by a dip into the eggs and finally a coating of the breadcrumbs. Set the breaded halloumi slices onto a plate until all have been breaded.

Grocery List

250g package Halloumi Cheese
½ C AP Flour
2 Large Eggs
1 C Plain Breadcrumbs
1 Jar Prepared Pesto
½ C Zima Tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Red Onion, diced
Handful Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 clove Garlic, smashed & minced
1 Tbsp. EVOO
¼ Lemon, juice
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
Clubhouse Dried Salad Herbs
EVOO for frying

**You may need to add more breadcrumbs if things start to get clumpy!

Begin heating about ¼ C EVOO in a small frying pan set to just below medium heat. Once heated, place 3 – 4 halloumi slices into the pan and let them sizzle away for 2 – 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and continue to fry another 2 – 3 minutes. When finished, place the fried halloumi slices on to a paper towel lined plate, season with sea salt, and continue frying until all of the slices are fried.

For service, you can play around with plating. I started by dropping a couple of TBSPS. of pesto into the center of the plate, spreading it around into a circle pattern. Place two fried halloumi slices overlapping on top of the pesto finishing with a spoonful or two of the Zima bruschetta. ENJOY!

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3 Cheese Garlic Ranch Biscuits

3/9/2020

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3 Cheese Garlic Ranch Biscuits

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 12 - 15 Min

Preheat oven to 450 F

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients and use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour until a crumbly appearance is achieved.

Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in the ranch and milk. Begin working the outsides of the flour into the center where the liquid is. Add the garlic, parsley, and cheeses and continue to fold together until combined. Dough should be sticky in feel and appearance.

Using a ¼ C measure, drop heaping scoops of the batter directly onto a baking sheet coated in cooking spray. Continue until all batter is used up (approximately 6 – 9 biscuits depending on whether you choose to do heaping scoops or not)

Spray the tops of the biscuits with cooking spray and place the biscuits into the oven to bake. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until nice and golden brown on the outside.

Remove from oven and transfer the biscuits from the baking tray to a wire cooling rack. ENJOY!

Grocery List

1 ¾ C AP Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
½ Tsp. Sea Salt
¼ Tsp. Baking Soda
5 Tbsp. Cold Unsalted Butter
3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced / pressed
¼ C Mozzarella, grated
¼ C Marble Cheddar, grated
½ C Extra Old White Cheddar, grated
3 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 C 2% Milk

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Crispy Cauliflower Fajitacos

3/3/2020

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Crispy Cauliflower Fajitacos

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 20 - 25 Min

In a medium sized pot, add the cauliflower florets and fill with cold water. Bring to a boil on medium high heat and continue to boil for 6 – 8 minutes until they are tender but not fully cooked. Strain and set aside until cool.

**Continue as cauliflower boils

Empty the contents of the refried beans into a small pan. Cover and set to medium low. Stir often and leave on the heat until everything is ready.

Add the sliced zucchini, bell peppers, onions, EVOO, chili powder, cumin, 1 tsp. garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and sea salt to a large mixing bowl and toss until everything is combined and veggies are coated. Begin heating a large, non-stick skillet set to medium heat. Once heated, add the veggies and cook 7 – 10 minutes until veggies are tender.

Grocery List

20 Yellow Corn Street Taco Tortillas
1 Small Head Cauliflower, broken down into smaller florets
3 Large Eggs
1 C Seasoned Breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Red Onion, halved & sliced
2 Bell Peppers, sliced
1 Zucchini, sliced thin
1 Tsp. Cumin
1 Tsp. Chili Powder
2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
¼ Tsp. Dried Oregano
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
540ml can Refried Black Beans
1 C Extra Old White Cheddar
3 Green Onions, sliced
Fresh Cilantro
Cracked Pepper
Store Bought Salsa Verde
Oil for Frying

Get the breadcrumbs in one shallow bowl and the eggs in another. Whisk together the eggs with some salt, pepper, and the remaining tsp. of garlic powder. Use one hand to drop a few pieces of cauli into the eggs coating them entirely and transfer them to the breadcrumbs. Use the opposite hand to toss them around in the crumbs making sure to coat them entirely. Transfer them to a baking sheet and continue until all of the cauliflower are breaded.

For frying, fill a small frying pan half of the way up with your desired oil and set to medium heat. Test the oil by dipping a piece of the cauliflower into the pan, if it sizzles ferociously, the oil is ready. When heated, drop 7 or 8 pieces of the cauliflower into the pan and cook roughly 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. When finished, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Continue until all cauliflower is fried.

Split the tortillas into two batches and wrap them in paper towels. Put them into the microwave and heat for approximately 30 seconds or until they are heated thoroughly.

For service, drop ½ Tbsp. of refried beans on to the shell and press it down to smear it around the taco followed by a sprinkling of white cheddar, a scoop of the fajita veggies, 2 – 3 pieces of fried cauli (depending on size), drizzle of salsa, and some green onions and cilantro. ENJOY!

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R E C I P E S

Kale & White Bean Soup with Kale & Walnut Pesto

Huevos Rancheros

Pastitsio

Breaded Halloumi with Pesto & Zima Tomato Bruschetta

3 Cheese Garlic Ranch Biscuits

Crispy Cauliflower Fajitacos

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